Asitara orsitarah (Arabic:سِتَارَة[si.taː.ra]^ⓘ) is an ornamental curtain used in the sacred sites ofIslam. A sitara forms part of thekiswah, the cloth covering of theKaaba inMecca. Another sitara adorns the Prophet's Tomb in theAl-Masjid an-Nabawi mosque inMedina. These textiles bear embroidered inscriptions of verses from theQuran and other significant texts. Sitaras have been created annually since the 16th century as part of a set of textiles sent to Mecca. The tradition is that the textiles are provided by the ruler responsible for the holy sites. In different eras, this has meant theMamluk Sultans, the Sultans of theOttoman Empire, and presently the rulers ofSaudi Arabia.^[1] The construction of the sitaras is both an act of religious devotion and a demonstration of the wealth of the rulers who commission them.^[2]

The earliest recorded sitara was made inEgypt in 1544, during the reign ofSuleiman the Magnificent.^[3] Suleiman set aside the revenue of ten villages to fund the creation of textiles for the Kaaba and the Prophet's Mosque: an arrangement that continued until 1813.^[4] Replacing the textiles is one of the privileges of theCustodian of the Two Holy Mosques, a title adopted byMamluk,Ottoman, and Saudi Arabian rulers.^[5]

Sitaras for the Kaaba were part of a set of textiles made annually at a dedicated workshop in Cairo, theDar al-Kiswa, until 1927 when the kingIbn Saud established a workshop in Mecca.^[6][3] At the start of the 20th century, the Cairo workshop employed more than a hundred artists and textile workers.^[4] Responsibility for transporting the textiles from Cairo to Mecca was given to a specially chosen Muslim family, for whom it was a high honour.^[6] The textiles were usually cut up and distributed once replaced. Ottoman royals and dignitaries would convert the pieces to clothing or tomb coverings.^[3]

TheKaaba, situated in theGreat Mosque of Mecca, is the most holy site in Islam.^[7] It is theqibla, the point that Muslims face towards while praying.^[7] TheFive Pillars of Islam include thehajj, a pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites. One of the rites of the hajj is thetawaf which involves walking seven times around the Kaaba.^[8]

The textile coverings of the Kaaba are among the most sacred objects inIslamic art.^[5] A sitara, on average 5.75 metres (18.9 ft) by 3.5 metres (11 ft), covers the door of the Kaaba and forms part of thekiswah: the textile covering of the building.^[5] This is assembled by sewing together four separate textile panels.^[4] This sitara is also known as theburqu'.^[3] A smaller sitara covers an internal door of the Kaaba, theBab al-Tawba.^[5] Being protected from weathering, this internal sitara is replaced much less frequently.^[5] The tradition is also more recent; the earliest documented internal sitara was in 1893.^[5] TheMaqam Ibrahim (Station of Abraham) is a small square stone near the Kaaba which, according to Islamic tradition, bears the footprint ofAbraham.^[9] It used to be housed in a structure with its own sitara that was replaced annually.^[4] Theminbar (pulpit) within the Great Mosque has its own sitara.^[4]

Having been in contact with the holiest site of Islam, the textiles are regarded as infused withbarakah (blessings).^[1] After use, they are usually split into parts to be given to dignitaries or pilgrims. Fragments of recent kiswahs adorn many of Saudi Arabia's government buildings and embassies.^[6]

The tradition of the Sultan sending a sitara to cover the Prophet's Tomb began in the 10th century.^[10] A white sitara was provided for the tomb in the 12th century by theFatimids.^[11] Being away from direct sunlight, the Medina textiles have been replaced less frequently than the Kaaba textiles; in the 15th century, this was every six or seven years as the fabric wore out.^[12]

The basic designs of the sitara were established in the 16th century and continue to the present.^[3] The colours used have changed in different eras. The present colour scheme for the sitara of the Kaaba, in use since the early 20th century, is gold and white embroidery on a black background.^[13]

The inscriptions embroidered in gold and silver wire have become more ornate over time.^[3] These inscriptions include verses from theQuran and supplications toAllah, as well as the names of the rulers who commissioned the textiles.^[13][4] Sitaras made in the Ottoman Empire included the Sultan'stughra (their official calligraphed monogram) in their design.^[10] Theshahada (the Islamic declaration of faith) is another text used repeatedly.^[1] Sitaras for the Kaaba were traditionally decorated with gold buttons andtassels.^[4]

Although they are usually divided into parts after use, rare examples of complete sitaras exist in some collections.^[5] These collections include theKhalili Collection of Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage,^[14] theBritish Museum, theAshmolean Museum in Oxford, and theMetropolitan Museum of Art (The Met).^[5][15] During the Ottoman era, many sacred textiles, including some sitaras, were returned to Istanbul after use, now forming part of the collection of theTopkapı Palace.^[1] Among the Khalili collection's sitaras is one from the Kaaba, 499 centimetres (196 in) high, dating from 1606. Made in Cairo, it was commissioned byAhmed I.^[16][17] Others, similarly embroidered with multiple verses from the Quran, were commissioned byAbdülmejid I^[18][19] andMahmud II.^[20] This collection also includes several sitaras for the Prophet's Mosque, from the 18th century onwards.^[21] One in red silk, 280 centimetres (110 in) high, was made in Istanbul in the early 19th century. It bears thecartouche ofMahmud II who commissioned it for theRawḍah ash-Sharifah (Noble Garden) of the mosque.^[22][23] The Met's sitara was commissioned byAbdul Hamid II for the interior door of the Kaaba and is 280 centimetres (110 in) high. It is dated 1315AH (1897–98AD) and calls for blessings forAbbas II of Egypt, who would have overseen the textile's production.^[15]

An 18th century sitara, commissioned bySelim III for the Prophet's Mosque, was donated to the Ashmolean Museum byNasser Khalili in 2012.^[24][2] Khalili also donated two sitaras made for the Prophet's Mosque to the British Museum in 2012. One is dated AH 1204 (1789–1790 AD) and bears the name ofSelim III.^[25] The other was commissioned byMahmud II in the early 18th century and bears histughra.^[26] TheSharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation includes a sitara from the door of the Kaaba from 1985.^[27] TheMuseum of Turkish Calligraphy Art in Istanbul has a complete kiswah.^[1] In 1983 the Saudi Arabian government donated a sitara from the Kaaba to theheadquarters of the United Nations, where it remains on display.^[6]

• 
  Section from the curtain of the Prophet’s Tomb, made inIstanbul, late 17th or early 18th century. The texts include theshahada, quotations from theQuran, and the names ofAllah andMuhammad.^[28]
• 
  Sitara for the Prophet’s Mosque, made in Istanbul, dated 1298 AH (1880–81 AD)
• 
  Sitara for the Internal Door of the Kaaba, made in Cairo, early 20th century

• Media related toSitaras (textiles) at Wikimedia Commons

• Islamic terminology
• Culture in Mecca
• History of Mecca
• Medina
• Islamic art
• Textile arts
• Embroidery

• Pages using the Phonos extension
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing Arabic-language text
• Pages with Arabic IPA
• Pages including recorded pronunciations
• Commons category link is on Wikidata